Protective helmet and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A PROTECTIVE HELMET IS MADE FROM AN UNITARY PIECE OF FLEXIBLE SLAB MATERIAL, SUCH AS VINYL FOAM. A SUBSTANTIALLY CRUCIFORM BLANK HAS A CENTRAL PART, FRONT AND REAR PORTIONS, AND TWO SIDE PORTIONS. THE BLANK IS FORMED INTO HEAD-ENCOMPASSING SHAPE, AND THE EDGES OF THE BLANK PORTIONS ARE JOINED IN PAIRS IN EDGE ABUTTING RELATION, AS BY GLUING, AND A FLEXIBLE COATING IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACES OF THE SHAPED HELMET. A FASTENER ASSEMBLY COOPERABLE WITH A FASTENER ON A CHIN STRAP IS ATTACHED TO THE HELMET PROPER.

Jam 5, 1971 J. HOLDEN PROTECTIVE HELMET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 4, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DAVID J. HOLDEN Jan- 5, 1971 D HOLDEN I 3,551,911

7 PROTECTIVE-HELMET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 4, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DAVID J. HOLDEN 3,551,911 PROTECTIVE HELMET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME David J. Holden, Littleton, Mass., assignor to George Frost Company, Shirley, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 4, 1969, Ser. No. 796,377 Int. Cl. A42b 1/08; A42c l/ U.S. Cl. 2-3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protective helmet is made from an unitary piece of flexible slab material, such as vinyl foam. A substantially cruciform blank has a central part, front and rear portions, and two side portions. The blank is formed into head-encompassing shape, and the edges of the blank portions are joined in pairs in edge abutting relation, as by gluing, and a flexible coating is applied to the surfaces of the shaped helmet. A fastener assembly cooperable with a fastener on a chin strap is attached to the helmet proper.

This invention relates to protective helmets and to methods of making them. More particularly, the invention is concerned with what might be termed relatively light duty head protection, for use in light contact sports such as touch football, flag football, field hockey and so on, as distinguished from heavy contact sports such as tackle football. Helmets according to the invention may nevertheless be used in tackle football practice when body contact is to be minimized.

An object of the present invention is to provide a protective helmet of the class indicated which is light, comfortable and inexpensive to produce.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a helmet which is formed basically from a single unitary blank of cushioning material, four pairs of edges of which are joined, preferably in edge-abutting relation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a helmet of the class referred to having a simple and durable fastener assembly adapted to cooperate with a fastener on a helmet adjunct, such as a chin strap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and easily performed method of making a helmet constructed as outlined above.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following more detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football or the like helmet constructed in accordance with the present invention, a chin strap being shown in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank formed of flexible slab material in fiat condition prior to being shaped and edge-joined to the head-encompassing condition shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIG. 2 partially shaped and with one pair of edges joined;

'FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the blank completely shaped with its edges joined and 'with a reinforcing edge-securing tape partially applied to one edge joint;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing parts of a chin strap fastener assembly;

ited States Patent C FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale sectional view on the line 66 of FIG. 1, illustrating the fastener assembly in detail; and

'FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIG. 1, showing a representative completed edge joint.

As previously stated, a helmet constructed in accord ance with the present invention is primarily intended to be worn by participants in light contact sports such as touch football, flag football, field hockey and other sports in which there may be some head injury hazard although not so dangerous as sports as rough as tackle football.

A representative embodiment of a helmet according to the invention is designated generally H in FIG. 1, which shows the helmet in its final shape or contour form. A chin strap CS, which may be of any desired form, is indicated in dot-dash lines.

The helmet is constituted basically by a body B which is formed from a blank illustrated in flat condition in FIG. 2. In accordance with the invention, the blank is constituted by a single piece of unitary flexible cushioning slab material such as vinyl foam, although other cushioning materials, preferably foam materials, may be used. Conveniently, the blank may be cut with a single die operation, although other blank forming procedures may be used. The blank is formed with perforations P for lightness and ventilation.

In the following description, the terms right and left refers to the sides of the helmet, and the blank, which are right and left with respect to the 'wearer, rather than right and left in the drawings per se.

The blank is generally or approximately cruciform, comprising a central part CP, a fore-and-aft aligned back portion BP and front portion FP, and a transversely aligned right side portion RSP and left side portion LSP. All portions BP, PP, RSP and LSP are integrally joined to the central part CP.

The front portion FP is delineated by a right side edge 1, aleft side edge 2, both side edges 1 and 2 being substantially straight and parallel, and an end edge 3 which is apexed at its midpoint.

The back portion BP is bounded by a right side edge 4, a left side edge 5, the edges 4 and 5 being substantially straight and converging upon one another from the central part CP outwardly, and a convex end edge 6.

The right side portion RSP is delineated by a convex rear edge 7, a convex forward edge 8, and, remote from the central part CP, a convex end edge 9 and a concave edge 10. The part of the right side portion RSP adjacent to the convex edge Sl fits down over the side of the users head and the concave edge 10 is positioned at the side of the users forehead.

The left side portion LSP is formed similarly to the right side portion RSP and thus includes a convex rear edge 11, a convex forward edge 12, a generally convex outer edge 13 and a concave edge 14.

In addition to the perforations P, the blank is formed with holes 15 and 16 which are positioned over or in the region of the users ears when the completed helmet is donned.

In order to form the blank into head-encompassing shape, certain of the blank edges described above are brought together in pairs of abutting edges and secured in abutting relationship. It is not essential that any particular pair of edges be joined firstly nor that the other pairs of edges be joined in any particular sequence. For

the purpose of explanation, the forming of the blank into head-encompassing shape will be described as starting as indicated in FIG. 3. This figure shows the forward edge 12 of the left side portion LSP joined in edge-abutting relation to the left side edge 2 of the front portion PP. The edges 12 and 2 are stuck together with adhesive means 17 shown in FIG. 7, such as glue compatible with the foam material.

The forward edge 8 of the right side portion RSP is joined to the right side edge 1 of the front portion PP and, again, glued in abutting relationship.

The rear edge 11 of the left side portion LSP is adhered in abutting relation to the left side edge 5 of the back portion BP.

The rear edge 7 of the right side portion RSP is adhered in abutting relation to the right side edge 4 of the back portion BP.

As stated above, the pairs of edges 122, 8-1, 115, and 74 need not be joined in the sequence stated above or in any other particular sequence.

After joining the pairs of edges in abutting relation, the edge joints are reinforced by applying tape, such as vinyl tape, spanning the joints as indicated in FIG. 4 where a piece of tape T has been stuck to the inside of the helmet where the edges 12-2 are joined. The part of the tape T shown depending from the shaped helmet is then brought around the front edge of the helmet and applied to the outside of the joint 122. The other pairs of joined edges may be reinforced by tape similarly.

After all of the joints have been formed and taped,

a coating of vinyl paint or other tough, flexible coating material is applied to both the inside and outside of the helmet. The coating material should have a degree of flexibility consonant with that of the foam material.

As shown particularly in FIG. 6, an improved fastener assembly FA is provided for convenient attachment of the chin strap CS. The fastener assembly FA includes a stud element comprising a flange 19 and a stem 20, a fastener element 21, a yieldable disk 22 of leather or similar material, and a further disk 23 of larger diameter than the disk 22, the disk 23 having greater yieldability than the disk 22 and being formed for example of vinyl foam material.

When the fastener assembly is to be applied to the helmet, the smaller disk 22 is placed against the basic foam material as illustrated in FIG. 6, the larger disk 23 is placed over the smaller disk 22, and the vinyl paint or the like coating 18 is applied to both the inside and the outside of the helmet and so as to cover the larger disk 23. The foam material body B, the vinyl paint coating 18, and the disks 22 and 23 are then pierced and the stud element stem 20 extended through these parts to project beyond the coating 18 on the outside of the helmet. The fastener element 21, which may be the male part of an ordinary snap fastener, is then secured to the projecting'end portion of the stem 20. Any known way of securing the element 21 to the stem 20 may be used, for example the stem 20 may be hollow and its outer end may be deformed in the manner of a rivet for secur ing the element 21 on the end of the stem. The flange 19 and the fastener element 21 are brought so close together in final assembly as to hold the foam material, the coating 18 and the disks 22 and 23 in compressed condition, thus providing a somewhat flexible although strong connection of the fastener assembly to the helmet proper.

The disclosed helmet construction and method of making it are presently preferred, but it is intended that the disclosure be representative rather than definitive, the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A protective helmet comprising a single unitary piece of flexible cushioning slab material having a central part, fore-and-aft aligned back and front portions integral with said central part, each of said back and front portions having substantially straight and substantially parallel right and left side edges, transversely aligned right and left side portions integral with said central part respectively on opposite sides thereof and each having a convex rear edge, a convex forward edge, a convex and edge, and a concave edge between and connecting the associated forward edge and end edge; and adhesive means joining edges of said portions in abutting relation as follows: (1) the rear edge of said right side portion with the right side edge of said back portion, (2) the rear edge of said left side portion with the left side edge of said back portion, (3) the forward edge of said right side portion with the right side edge of said front portion, and (4) the forward edge of said left side portion with the left side edge of said front portion, said concave edges respectively being positionable at the sides of the users forehead when the helment is worn.

2. A protective helmet according to claim 1 further comprising tape means spanning the joined edges and stuck to the edge-joined portions on both sides of the edge joints.

3. A protective helmet according to claim 2 in which said unitary piece and the tape means thereon are coated with vinyl material.

4. A protective helmet according to claim 1 including a chin strap fastening assembly at a location on one of said side portions near an edge thereof which connects the rear and forward edges thereof, said assembly comprising a first yieldable disk of relatively low yeldability against the outer surface of said slab material at said location; a second yieldable disk of larger diameter and of greater yieldability than said first disk positioned against the outside of said first disk; a stud element having a flange positioned against the inside of said slab material, and a stem projecting through said slab material and first and second disks; and a fastener element embracing an end portion of said stem which projects through and beyond said disks, said fastener element being secured to said stem element projecting end portion, said elements holding said slab material and disks at said location in compressed condition.

5. In a method of making a protective helmet, forming from a single slab of cushioning flexible material a flat unitary blank having a central part, fore-and-aft aligned back and front portions integral with said central part, each of said back and front portions having substantially straight and substantially parallel right and left side edges, and transversely aligned right and left side portions integral with said central part respectively on opposite sides thereof and each having a convex rear edge, a convex forward edge, a convex end edge, and a concave edge between and connecting the associated forward edge and end edge; and then folding said blank into head-encompassing shape and adhesively joining edges of said portions in abutting relation as follows: (1) the rear edge of said right side portion with the right side edge of said back portion, (2) the rear edge of said left side portion with the left side edge of said back portion, (3) the forward edge of said right side portion with the right side edge of said front portion and (4) the forward edge of said left side portion with the left side edge of said front portion, said concave edges respectively being positionable at the sides of the users forehead when the helmet is Worn.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,660,770 2/ 1928 Solomon 2194 1,996,078 4/1935 Manson 26 2,296,335 9/1942 Brady 23X 2,451,483 10/ 1948 Goldsmith 23X 3,113,321 12/1963 Siegel 2-174 3,447,162 6/ 1969 Aileo 23 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner 

